


Picking Up The Pieces

by flickawhip



Series: Collars And Silks [1]
Category: Silk (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-04
Updated: 2014-10-04
Packaged: 2018-02-19 20:18:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2401592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flickawhip/pseuds/flickawhip
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Caroline attempts to fix Martha.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Picking Up The Pieces

Caroline Warwick has always been known as a 'tough bitch' to work with, she knows that and she still doesn't care. She cares only for her own happiness. She will do whatever it takes to be happy.  
She takes the cases nobody else wants or can handle and yet, when she first meets Martha Costello she knows she's met her match. The woman is tough, firm and determined and yet, there's something there that Caroline has rarely seen before.  
Martha stands, pleads the case and wins. Caroline remains unsurprised. 

Offered a place alongside Martha with her new team she says yes. Martha does, after all, have silk and she is fiercely determined. Having lost a case to her Caroline can only hope the woman is just as determined for every case.  
She takes her time settling in, gets to know the rest of the team, leaves Martha to choose what she wants to do, who she wants to talk to and when. She won't push. Push and she loses the girl. She doesn't want to lose the girl.  
Martha remains distanced from her for a long time, she knows why, she can see it every time the woman speaks to Clive. She is nervous, determined and fierce but fragile with it. Billy pushes himself at her and Martha snaps, all but kicking him. 

The men leave after that, leaving Martha alone for the first time in a while and Caroline moves away, she knows when to take her chance and now, now is not the time. She will wait, she has time to spare. She is packing her cases for tomorrow when she hears the sounds of Martha trashing her rooms.  
She waits, listens for the sounds that will surely follow. She knows the sounds of anger turning to tears, she recognises the pain and anguish of someone attempting to heal. She doesn't know what happened to Martha, she hasn't asked, she will let Martha choose to tell her, but she knows she is hurting.  
Martha has calmed, she seems to be speaking to someone, or herself, out loud, possibly on the phone and then Caroline hears the name. 

"Niamh..."

Of course, the girl she clearly cared for. The girl whose father took her away. No wonder Martha seemed jumpy around Billy, given what she must have been hiding, her feelings for Niamh, she was clearly not happy with Billy being nearby, the man was almost a shark. He knew people's secrets and kept his own.  
She had waited in silence for Martha to hang up, smiling to herself even as she moved towards Martha's rooms again, knocking once before entering. Martha was sitting on the one seat she hadn't up-ended, clearly still emotionally shaken. Without thinking too much of what she would do next Caroline had moved into the room, picking a chair up.  
She had settled close, moving to take Martha's hand in her own, feeling Martha attempt to pull away and tightening her grip slightly, Martha stilled, looking at her in silence. Clearly waiting. 

"You loved her... didn't you?"

"No..."

Martha's reply was softly stubborn and she did pull away this time, clearly angry with... someone. Herself perhaps. 

"Martha."

"Don't."

Caroline moves on impulse now, following Martha as the woman rises to pace, drawing her closer, letting the woman cry. It isn't perfect, but Martha needs her and that is enough for her. To hold her, cradle her and simply wait. She is surprised, pleased but surprised, when Martha's lips brush her collarbone, clearly seeking something.  
She moves again on impulse, tilting Martha's head up and kissing her softly, feeling the woman's breath hitch even as she smiles softly, allowing herself to be lead. Caroline takes control, she always has and she always will, and yet, the touches she gives are slow, tender and generous. She won't deny pleasure, not now. She will, however, tease.  
Martha is soon pressing into her, breath hitching further, almost whimpering with the need for freedom and release and Caroline smiles, her lips brush Martha's forehead softly even as she finally, finally lets Martha take what she needs. 

In the time after Caroline takes her time to straighten her clothes, smoothing a hand through her hair before moving to straighten Martha's own clothes, her smile soft even as she straightens the other woman's hair, combing a hand through the shortly cropped hair, smiling at Martha's small noise of comfort. That is all she had wanted and yet, now she knows.  
She has lost her heart to this woman, this wonderfully bright, fierce, loving woman who so desperately needs someone to love her for who she is. She could hardly refuse her now. Still she smiles again, reaches for the phone and before Martha can stop her has hit redial. 

The girl answers and Caroline speaks, her tone ice cold but firmly determined. 

"Come. Now."

She hangs up and waits. This is a test. 

Niamh does come, she is flushed, nervous and yet she has taken the bait to come. Martha stiffens at Caroline's side and Caroline smiles slightly, moving to run her hand over Martha's back, offering a little comfort even as she speaks once again. 

"Do you want to come back... work with us?"

Niamh nods, speechless. 

"Will you behave? Listen to what we tell you to do?"

Again Niamh nods and Caroline can hardly hide her smile. 

"Will you care for Martha as she needs?"

Again a nod and Caroline smirks slightly. 

"Your father..."

"My father doesn't matter, I was a fool to listen to him. I should have stayed. I wanted to stay."

Caroline smiles slightly. 

"And Martha?"

"Martha is why I wanted to stay."

Caroline smiles again, her voice soft even as she comes closer, taking her time to look the girl over, enjoying Niamh's tiny intake of breath even as she remains still. 

"I suppose you'll do."


End file.
